By “Boardwalk Empire” writer-producer and “The Wolf of Wall Street” scribe Terence Winter is teaming with Leonardo DiCaprio’s Appian Way and Vincent Piazza on a new tragedy meets dark comedy film about infamous inventor Thomas Midgley, Jr.
Midgley has been dubbed the single person who has arguably done the most environmental damage to the planet of anyone in history. The mechanical and chemical engineer was working at General Motors in 1921 when he discovered adding lead to gasoline prevented knocking in internal combustion engines.
That discovery went on to result in the extensive use of leaded petrol in cars for decades – releasing large quantities of lead into the atmosphere all over the world.
He didn’t stop there, however. A few years later he set out to solve the problems with air conditioning and refrigeration systems which at the time were using ammonia and sulfur dioxide as refrigerants.
The aim was to make a non-toxic, non-flammable alternative and, with the help of a team, created dichlorodifluoromethane – better known as ‘Freon’ – the first of the CFCs. CFCs were subsequently widely adopted for decades until it was revealed they caused the hole in the ozone layer and were globally phased out.
In 1940, a 51-year-old Midgley contracted polio and was left severely disabled. He came up with an elaborate system of ropes and pulleys to lift himself out of bed. A few years later he was found dead after he had become entangled in the device and had strangled himself to death in the ensuing struggle.
Winter and Piazza will pen the script and both will executive produce, along with automotive journalist Jamie Lincoln Kitman. Molly Conners and Rachel Winter will also produce with a director currently being sought.
Source: Yahoo
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